With His Dying Will
by Fate Camiswhil
Summary: Izuku Midoriya is just your average ordinary geek and/or nerd who dreams of becoming a Police officer someday! But then the father he never met suddenly dies and now he's being recruited as the Boss of the most powerful mafia famiglia in the world! Chaos ensues.
1. An ode to the Father I never knew

**AN:**

This fic is inspired by Katekyo Hitman Reborn! but you don't need to have watched that to read this.

Dedicated to Mori! This is all your fault.

* * *

**"With His Dying Will"**

**Chapter 01: ****An ode to the father I never knew.**

The news of his father's passing doesn't really affect Izuku as much as he knows it should have. He never knew him, so it isn't really all that surprising. He never asked about him either, he didn't care. If the man didn't want to be a part of his life then that's just that. He has learned from a young age not to ask for something he knows he couldn't have. But everything made perfect sense now, it's because his father was a criminal, a mafia boss to be exact. And now, the family he left behind wanted him to succeed him, whatever that means. His mother is the only family he's ever known. He looks at her back, hunched over the white marble coffin wrapped in the Italian flag as if his father was some kind of hero. He clearly wasn't, far from it. But these Mafiosi regarded him as such. It turned out he was the boss of the most powerful mafia family in their country, the Yuuei Famiglia. But was he really strong if he couldn't even keep his family within reach? Then again, they were never a family. His father belonged to these people. That's why he didn't understand why they were suddenly returning him, just because he was dead and out of use. What a family.

Izuku tugs at his collar, the tie is too tight and he's sweating through his shirt. It's the first time he's ever had to wear a three-piece and it had to be under the summer sun with more than an hour waiting for that stupid plane. He looks over to the side at the vast runway, the tarmac is melting, steam blowing towards them by the wind. He wishes they could just get this over with, bury the man somewhere and go home. Except his mother is still bawling her eyes out, and Izuku doesn't have the heart to say anything. She must have really loved him, she must still do. He doesn't know, and he wouldn't ask. It doesn't matter to him, he just hates all of this.

"Don't you want to join her?" Yagi Toshinori, a blond lanky-figured old man with sunken features, places a hand on his shoulder. He said he was a close friend of his father and the external advisor of the famiglia. He was also the man who delivered them the news.

Izuku struggles not to shrug him off, he sighs trying not to sound exasperated. "Mom is mourning the death of her husband, but I don't know that man. He's not my father."

Yagi holds his breath and lets his hand fall as he exhales, he doesn't say anything further. They wait for about ten more minutes until Inko has gathered herself enough to stand. She motions for Izuku then, and the child runs up to give her a hug, the coffin being loaded into the hearse in the background.

* * *

Izuku doesn't understand why there are so many people at the funeral, he doesn't know most of them and only a few of their neighbors actually showed up. They're all wearing black suits, speaking among themselves and would greet him formally if he as much as makes a move. He's sure they had ample time to mourn his father before sending him here so why did they all have to come? He feels so uncomfortable, and one guy with spiky blond hair who's been giving him the stink eye from across the room, isn't helping. He stands from his seat and ducks into the crowd, walking to get away as fast as he could. He accidentally bumps into a tall guy with unbelievable red and white hair, he means to apologize but when the man turns to look at him, the glare and the scar scares him enough to bolt. He doesn't look back.

He gets outside and heaves the deepest breath he could muster. The chapel is suffocating, everyone is scary and he'd rather be anywhere else. He figures he'd wait at the burial site, he just wants this all to be over. He walks away, towards the back to the cemetery. It makes for an eerie sight but at least he's alone. He threads through the gravestones, mindlessly looking around. He then remembers how the kids at school would tell him to go kill himself. He doesn't know if things would have been better then, but if he did, he'd probably be buried somewhere around here.

"Hey there, Midoriya-san," a bulky middle-aged man calls and bows slightly before approaching him.

"Hello sir," Izuku bows back, trying to be polite.

"No sirs please, I am just one of your father's lowly subordinates," the man grins, too wide. He definitely fits the mafioso stereotype.

"I see, thank you for coming and welcome to Japan. Please enjoy your stay," Izuku smiles tightly, he doesn't want to look too uncomfortable. He knows this man is dangerous, he's sure all of them are. He doesn't trust any of them, he's scared to be left alone with any of them. "Can I help you with something?"

"Ah, actually-"

The man doesn't get to finish, because another person lunges at him from the back. Izuku falls to the ground face down, the person is now sitting on his back. He belatedly realizes it's a girl after she stomps a bare leg over his shoulder. The bulky middle-aged man from earlier hurriedly holds his arms behind his back. He's probably not a loyal subordinate if he really was one, mafiosi don't normally attack the son of their boss right? He holds that thought as a stabbing sensation hits him below the scapula. But it's too small, it feels like a needle.

"Agh! What're you doing?!" He flails, trying to kick backwards but the bulky man decides to sit on his legs. There were many times he's felt so helpless, this probably makes it to the top of his list. He thinks back to the long list of plausibly horrible things his bullies at school had done to him and whether anything else beats this. He comes up empty, feeling his cheek pushed to the ground.

"Relax, baby boy~ we're just taking some blood~" the blond girl sounds too cheerful. "We're not gonna hurt you~ don't worry~"

"What?! Why?! Let me go!" Izuku tries to push them off, but they were too heavy. He's actually having a hard time breathing and something in his side hurts. He curses his damn luck, eyes instantly watering.

"Aww! Don't cry, baby~ this will all be over soon~"

"Why don't we just kill him? If he's dead, that's one less problem for us." He bulky man asks, shouting in a whisper.

"If he dies, the next problem will be Todoroki-sama." She answers as she stabs him with a new syringe. "And that's just tedious."

"But we already have his blood! Even if-"

"Eeeeekkk!" The girl suddenly shrieks, jumping off him.

Izuku feels a strong gust of cold wind and then, there was silence. He looks around him and sees the bulky man trapped in a big block of ice. That's amazing, he thinks as he tries to sit up, wheezing. There's significant pain on his right side, and he hopes it's not a broken rib. But considering his rotten luck, it probably is.

He hears footsteps running towards him and he looks to the side. It was the scary bi-haired scarface that he bumped into earlier.

"Are you all right?! Sorry if I came too late," he checks for wounds and tries to help him up.

"I'm fine! But there was another girl, she got away!" Midoriya tries to look around but she's nowhere to be found.

"Yeah, she jumped into a black hole." He holds him firm in the upper arm until he's on his feet. "It's an enemy famiglia's quirk."

"Oh... wow," Izuku shakes his head. A teleportation quirk was top tier, but he really shouldn't be thinking like this right now. He could've died.

"Are you hurt? Did they do something to you?"

"They took some of my blood, about two syringes but besides that I'm fine."

"You're crying."

"I'm okay, sorry." Izuku quickly scrubs at his face. He totally forgot he was crying. Then he flinches when there was a certain sting on his cheek. He must've scratched it on the ground. Great, now his mother is definitely going to notice.

"You should've called for help," the man admonishes while scrutinizing him with mismatched eyes. "You were quiet, so I didn't immediately figure you were in trouble. Normally, people scream when they get attacked, but you were resigned."

Izuku frowns, and mumbles. "I didn't think anyone would come." He tries to walk around the man, wincing through the pain on his side, but a hand grabs him by the elbow.

"I apologize if that was rude, I was just noting observations." He walks to face him and suddenly kneels down. "My name is Todoroki Shouto, I am your Cloud Guardian."

"I don't know what that means," Izuku thinks back at the name, the girl who attacked him mentioned it. "But you don't need to kneel, please stand up."

"You could say that I'm similar to a bodyguard, it's my duty to protect you." Shouto explains, straightening back to his feet.

"Oh... nice to meet you then, I'm Midoriya Izuku." He bows slightly, suddenly flustered. This person is a good head taller than him, and surprisingly pleasant to look at despite the scar.

"We should have you checked, you seem to be in pain." Shouto suggests.

"I'm fine, really." Izuku tries to walk away again, but staggers.

Shouto catches him by his arms. "Please come with me, Midoriya-sama."

There's a clipped tone in Shouto's voice that he doesn't like, coupled with the blank face, Izuku is sure the man doesn't actually care about him. "Fine, but no honorifics please." He relents anyway.

* * *

The first time Shouto sees him is at the airport, standing beside the external advisor a few ways away from his grieving mother and his father's coffin. But he isn't crying, he doesn't even look grief-stricken. He was indifferent, detached, bored. He reminds Shouto so much of himself most of the time, it's a kind of way to survive in their God-forsaken world. For a moment he considers how much they could possibly be the same, and remembers how this person is currently being presented the dead father he never met. He doesn't know which of them is luckier, he doesn't want to think about it anymore.

The second time is more of a surprise. They were inside the chapel for the funeral and Shouto was trying to appear inconspicuous, blending in with the crowd alongside Shinsou. Mostly, the people who attended were from the mafia, the triad and some yakusa. The underworld is vast, fortified by deals, pacts and contracts. The funeral was just another excuse to gather and secure allegiances, no matter how much they cared about their fallen Boss, he was dead and the family always comes first.

Midoriya had bumped into him then. He was shorter up close, doesn't look any older than him. Tense and skittish, he looked like a scared wild animal, a deer caught in headlights and was too quick to run away. Shouto stares at his running back, the kid doesn't look like he'll survive a day in the underworld.

"You should go after him, you know, just in case." Shinsou breaks him out of his thoughts. "I'm waiting for Denki so I can't."

The perfect excuse, but he doesn't deem him an answer. Shouto just turns and walks away, following the vague direction of their soon-to-be Boss. He doesn't see him when he gets outside, he isn't sure which way he could've gone either. But the chapel is relatively small and he's sure the boy wouldn't go far.

The third time he saw him, he was crying. Slumped on the ground, weak and powerless. Two goons from a possible enemy famiglia had jumped him. And although Shouto managed to catch one of them in ice, the other one escaped through what seems to be a black hole. That was the first time he had seen it in person, he would have to report that later. He turns back to the child on the ground, and he looks up back at him with tear-filled eyes, silently pleading for help but at the same time too scared to make a sound. The sight makes Shouto grind his teeth, he doesn't like what he sees. A person who doesn't call out for help is a person who has learned to accept pain. It was hopeless resignation. This person will not fight back.

And he is the next Boss of the most powerful mafia famiglia in the world.

He immediately drops that line of thought and finds his voice. "Are you all right?! Sorry if I came too late."

He checks for wounds and after a short introduction, they head to the clinic. As it turns out, Midoriya has fractured one of his ribs, but it isn't life-threatening and they would be able to hide the bandages under his suit. He's sitting on a bench as one of their medics fuss over him, when Shouto takes his chance to really take him in. He's thin but not as scrawny as the suit made him look, must've been a wrong fit. It's surprising that he actually has muscles, with freckles peppering everywhere especially on his cheeks. His face is framed by soft evergreen curls. He has big and emerald doe-like eyes, and lips pressed together too tightly. He looks so fragile and delicate it was frustrating, the previous waterworks not helping the image.

This person is going to be his Boss, and he couldn't help hearing the echoes of Bakugou's voice inside his head saying this person is unfit to rule and they were, as he so articulately put it, "fucking doomed". But Shouto has not decided yet. Midoriya still has his birthright, and there has to be a reason the external advisor wants them to meet him. He wonders, would a person like Midoriya do any good in the underworld? Would he save them? Would he be able to? For the life of him, he doesn't know. His best bet is standing guard and watching around for now.

Midoriya excuses himself from the medic and Shouto follows him out.

"You should get yourself checked at a hospital later," he advises.

"Yes, thank you." Midoriya kept his face forward, eyebrows creased.

Shouto didn't say anything more, and they immediately bump into Yagi on their way back to the chapel.

"I see you two have become acquainted," the blond older man looks between the two of them, trying to be casual. But when neither of them responds, he decides to fully regard Midoriya. "Your mother is looking for you, it's time."

Midoriya nods without a word and finds his way beside his mother, standing dutifully in front of his father's coffin as people prepared to carry it

"Bakugou found the man you froze. What did they do to him? Is he all right?" Yagi whispers as they stand ways away from the general crowd.

"They jumped him and took some blood. One of them escaped, sorry." Shouto glances at the older man.

"It's fine as long as he's safe," Yagi heaves a sigh.

"Aren't you worried they managed to take some blood?"

"Not at all, they wouldn't be able to take anything away from him." The blond man looks back at the crowd. "That's not how it works."

"I see," Shouto bites his tongue, stopping himself from asking further.

"Just be more careful next time." Yagi smiles slightly at him.

"I'll never let him out of my sight again," Shouto swears.

Yagi nods, "they're acting too fast, the decision hasn't even been made yet."

"I think the decision was made pretty clear the moment Hisashi-sama took his last breath. No one wants my father to reign."

"None from our side anyway," Yagi agrees and digresses.

"Yagi-san, I'm going to tell you honestly I don't think his birthright will be enough."

"It's not," Yagi doesn't miss a beat. "But his power will be."

"He's not ready,"

"He doesn't need to be,"

Shouto frowns at that, but he doesn't say anything. He knows there are things Yagi doesn't trust him with, being his father's son and all.

Yagi finally turns to face him. "We'll protect him, and train him. So by the time he graduates high school, he'll be ready."

"That's less than a year,"

"It'll be fine, we'll deal."

Shouto doesn't know about that, but he won't say anything. If it's disagreement they want, Bakugou will be enough.

* * *

Two days after his father's burial, Izuku's life seems to have gone back to normal. He hasn't seen Yagi or Todoroki or any of the mafiosi since. They seemed to have left him alone for a while, if not completely. He sighs, he had a bad feeling they'll come back soon enough, if what Yagi has told him on their first meeting was true. He wasn't sure of the details because he didn't ask, at the time he got too distracted by the mention of his father that he didn't really pay attention. In retrospect, he should've cleared everything from the start. Then he wouldn't have to worry and feel such foreboding. He thinks back at what they call the Yuuei Famiglia. He's done some research the following nights, but he really needs to do more.

An eraser thrown to the back of his head breaks Izuku out of his thoughts. He's at school, in the middle of class, surrounded by classmates that hate him despite him never having done anything bad to them.

"Quit daydreaming, you fucking nerd! It's annoying!"

"He must think he looks cool, staring out the window like that,"

"He always thinks he's cool, especially when he gets perfect scores."

"Who cares about that? He's still just useless Deku no matter what,"

"Ah! I remember overhearing my auntie talk to her friend about attending Deku's father's funeral! She said there were so many rich people there, she felt so intimidated!"

"Ehhh? So Deku's actually a rich boy pretending to live like a commoner?"

"No wonder he thinks he's better than us!"

"So all this time we could've been getting more from you?!"

"You owe us!"

Izuku always hopes that if he didn't say anything back they would stop and leave him alone, he's always wrong.

He doesn't even see who does it first, but he is punched out of his seat and they all start kicking and hitting him. It would've been good if they had stopped there, but with lunch period nearly over they decided to drag him out of class to the back of the school and continued the onslaught.

And again, just like any another normal day in his life, he's left battered and bruised. It almost makes him wish he doesn't have to return to this life, but any other possible alternatives don't seem so promising, not with his rotten luck. Besides, he only has a few months left and then he'll graduate and be able to enter the Police Academy. It was always his dream to be a hero. Well, that's not exactly the same thing but definitely the closest thing to one in real life.

He finally sits up and dusts himself. He's left all of his things in his table but he doesn't want to go back to class anymore. He'll come back tomorrow anyway and it's not like he has anything of value in his things. All of his quirk analysis notebooks were at home. He loves studying quirks and detective work, as well as reading crime novels. But his very favorite pastime would have to be All Might's comics, even though it's about heroes and not the police. It's close enough. [1]

He stands up and smiles to himself, since he's skipping afternoon classes he would have more time to study quirks and cases. He also has plenty of time for extra training, since he can't immediately go to Sir Nighteye's office and report for his internship, the man would know he's been skipping class. And he doesn't really want to tell him why, especially since he's being a loser again. Anyway, there's no need to dwell on that.

Izuku heads home, jogging to get started on warm-ups. He allows himself to enjoy the scenery and sights of everyday life. There were children playing in the park; a group of girls talking and laughing in a café; some businessmen brisk-walking across the street; an old lady tending to her plants; a group of skateboarders down an alley; a mother with her baby in a pram; salespeople trying to sell him things. He smiles sheepishly at them as he passes by, he really likes this little town of Musutafu. It was peaceful, despite the occasional crime and in spite of his bullies. It is still a relatively good place.

He halts at the red light in a crossing, he can already see their apartment from here. It's just another block away. He absent-mindedly starts counting the windows while waiting, they were on the seventh floor. He smiles knowing fully well his mother would be at work all day, and won't be home until late into the evening. He would have the house all by himself, so he can do whatever he wants.

But why is there a shadow moving about inside his room?

His smile drops, heart racing and thoughts running through his head. He counts the windows again, to make sure. And he isn't mistaken. There were people inside their house!

The stoplight turns green and he walks to cross the street, breathing slow deep breaths. If they were thieves they wouldn't really find anything worth much from their house. All their money is safely in the bank, in their cards, and he and his mother were never fond of jewelry or anything too expensive.

Izuku stops in front of his building, there were two black cars parked up front. Cars he's never seen before, and too heavily-tinted as well. He steps into the middle, both were empty. He memorizes their number plates and heaves one final deep sigh. He figures the people inside his house probably aren't thieves, in fact they were probably worse. He thinks about whether he should turn back, or call the police. But this was his house! And they didn't have a right to trespass!

He takes the elevator to the eighth floor, readying his phone for speed dial. He isn't 100% sure the people inside his house were from the mafia, they could still be real thieves. He doesn't know their quirks either or how many they are. He walks out the fire exit, the window of his mother's room should be below him, to the left. He calculates the distance, he could definitely make that jump to her veranda. He'll enter through there.

He makes the leap, landing safely but not without a stumble. His mother's room was empty, but the door was open. He slides the glass door open and closes it as he enters. It didn't look like they rummaged through here, and considering how his room was filled with All Might's merchandise, they should have known this was the master's bedroom. And if things were left untouched, it meant they weren't looking for valuable possessions. That meant they weren't thieves, but even if they were from the mafia he still isn't sure if they're his father's allies or not. And he really doesn't want a repeat of what happened at the funeral, where he looked like an absolute idiot. That was embarrassing!

He moves by his mother's bedside table, unlocking a secret compartment under the drawer and pulls out a gun. He makes sure it's loaded and grabs a pepper spray before hiding behind the door. He isn't really planning on shooting anyone, but it's better to keep his options open. He pockets the pepper spray on his left and fastens the gun on his belt.

He hears footsteps and as soon as a blond guy enters the room, he pulls him back and punches him in the gut as hard as he can. Blondie makes a choking sound but is instantly knocked out. That was easier than he thought, except the guy didn't look any older than him so he couldn't really judge.

He peaks through the hallway and sees the backs of a tall bluenette and a redhead standing in front of another blond. He waits for them to move, and they look like they were talking to another person to the side, so he loosens his left shoe. The redhead was the one who eventually turns to the hallway.

"Kaminari? Don't touch anything, dude." The redhead calls out, walking towards the master's bedroom where Izuku was. The blond guy he knocked out must've been Kaminari, as the redhead calls him.

Izuku doesn't wait to think, he charges and pepper sprays the man's eyes. He doesn't stop when he hears him yelp and rushes forward. He jumps, aiming his right knee at the bluenette's back, slamming him to the floor and flinging his left shoe to the other man on the side before pulling out the gun and aiming it at the blond sitting on the sofa.

Everything happened so fast but he was precise. Still, he hopes to God they were his father's men.

"Oh? So you know how to fight after all," the spiky blond man sneers at him, but neither of them moves.

Recognition finally hits Izuku then, this man was the same spiky blond who was glaring daggers at him during his father's funeral. "Who are you and what are you doing inside my house?"

"We're here to introduce ourselves, sorry for intruding."

Izuku recognizes the voice belonging to Todoroki. He throws a side glance at him and sees him walking out of his bedroom door, holding one of his All Might action figures in his hands.

"I thought you were thieves!" Izuku stands up from the bluenette's back and pulls the gun back, shoulders relaxing. "Or some goons from the enemy like last time." He speaks through gritted teeth, securing the gun back on the belt of his lower back.

"We thought it would be a bad idea to show up at your school so we decided to wait around your house, but then people were looking weird at us so we entered here." Todoroki helps up the violent-haired guy he hit on the face with his shoe, who was rubbing his nose.

Izuku looks down at the other guy he pinned on the floor, he broke his glasses. Then he looks back at the redhead who was still writhing on the floor. "Oh, sorry about that. Whatever, it was your fault." He fishes out a handkerchief and wets it with water from the kitchen sink, before handing it over to the redhead for his face.

"Ah, thank you." The redhead gratefully accepts, "by the way, I'm-"

"I don't really care to know, sorry," Izuku cuts him off, turning back to Todoroki. "Grab your unconscious friend from my mother's bedroom and leave. I don't want to have anything to do with any of you." He snatches the All Might figure and enters his room, slamming his door closed on Todoroki's face.

"Wow, he's not even Boss yet but he's already got the attitude." Bakugou scoffs.

"What do we do now?" Kirishima finally manages to rub out the pepper spray from his face.

"We should definitely apologize! This was our fault, and I'm sure he would understand if we explain our side!" Iida speaks without his glasses, looking more mature for his age.

"You guys do that, while I go check on Denki." Shinsou walks past them to the master's bedroom.

Todoroki suppresses the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose, turning back to their Boss' door and raising his knuckles to knock. Suddenly, the door opens and Midoriya walks out talking to his cellphone.

"I don't care how many levels you need to access, I'm asking if you can clear me," Izuku moves to the window opposite his bedroom door and glances downwards to the front of the building. He turns back to Todoroki, pulling the phone away from his ear and covering it with his other hand. "Are those two black cars yours?"

Todoroki gives him one slow blink before answering, "yes."

"You were bugged! You guys led the enemies straight to my house! Are you guys sure you're from the mafia? Why are you acting like idiots?! Who's the leader of this team?!"

"You are," Todoroki doesn't miss a beat, before giving him another excruciatingly slow blink. "You're our Boss."

Izuku's jaw slackens, "you're kidding."

"We're your guardians, Midoriya." Todoroki kneels in front of him, the same way he did the first time they met. "We'll obey your every command, just please let us protect you."

"You're the one who-" Izuku doesn't get to finish that sentence when a loud explosion shakes the whole building. He falls forward, and Todoroki catches him. He quickly pulls away before standing up and looking out. One of the black cars has exploded. "They saw me come in here, I inspected the cars earlier." He runs back to his room. "All of you get out! They have us surrounded, you need to escape!"

"What about you?!" Todoroki yells back him.

"Who do you think you're talking to?" Izuku pulls out two cases of ammunition from his closet. "I'm going to fight back."

* * *

**To be continued.**

Fic facts:  
1.) All Might and Yagi Toshinori are two completely different identities in this fic! All Might is just Izuku's favorite comic book hero, Yagi is the mafia family's external advisor.

— Lynx  
20190818

Please review and follow me on Twitter at Todoroki_Izu  
Thank you!


	2. The New Boss of Yuuei

**"With His Dying Will"**

**Chapter 02: The New Boss of Yuuei.**

Midoriya picks up his phone from where he dropped it during the explosion, redialing and turning to the rest of the occupants in the room as he waits for the other person to pick up. "What? Go already!"

"We're not leaving you here," Shouto stares him down, hoping to get through.

He doesn't.

"I don't have time to mess around with you people," Midoriya warns him with a glare. "This is the last time I'm asking you to leave."

He doesn't get through either.

"We're staying with you." Shouto grounds, finality in his voice.

Midoriya sighs, the call still not connecting. "Do you really think I would trust you?"

Shouto blinks, slowly frowning. He could feel the rest of his team watching them, Shinsou stumbling back into the room with a wincing Kaminari. He dreads what they're all about to hear.

"You're a Todoroki." Midoriya starts, doesn't disappoint. "If I die, your father will become the next Boss of Yuuei. How am I supposed to think my death isn't in your best interest? For all I don't know, you set up those people who attacked me! And now you're leading those people into my house! Why shouldn't I think you're only trying to get me killed?!"

"Because that's not true. That isn't my intention. I am not here for my father," Shouto tries to say as calmly as he could. He swallows, "you don't have to trust us, that's not what we're asking for. We just need you to let us protect you. Please."

Midoriya stares at him, but when Shouto doesn't look away, he redirects his gaze to the rest of them. "Give me your names."

The spiky blond guy goes first, huffing and then giving him a nasty smirk. "Bakugou Katsuki, I'm your Storm Guardian."

"I'm Kirishima Eijirou, I'm your Sun Guardian!" The redhead he pepper-sprayed grins, surprisingly cheerful.

"Iida Tenya, the Rain Guardian." The bluenette guy with broken glasses bows solemnly to him.

"Kaminari Denki, Thunder Guardian." The blond he knocked out smiles sheepishly.

"Shinsou Hitoshi, I'm your Mist Guardian." The violent-haired man he hit with his shoe nodded slightly. [1]

Midoriya turns away from them, "did you get all that? They're all from the Yuuei mafia famiglia," he was talking to his phone, the call finally connected apparently. "Please proceed with a background check, I'll take it no later than this evening." He rearranges the phone, holding it with his shoulder while connecting it to an earpiece and a smartwatch. "Also, send me back-up and give me vision, I'm going in blind."

It was unnerving to hear their own Boss suspect them, but it can't be helped. They all patiently wait for him to turn back to them.

Midoriya wears the earpiece and pockets his phone, "I assume all of you have quirks and are capable of fighting?"

They all respond with a variety of affirmation.

"Good, you guys can go fight downstairs or whatever. I don't really care, just go." He picks his gun up and loads it.

"I'll stay with you, you need to let at least one of us stay with you." Shouto explains and volunteers.

Midoriya just blinks at him, but he doesn't deem him an answer, walking past and out the apartment unit. Shouto follows after him while the rest of the guardians run out to do as they please.

"What are you planning?" Shouto couldn't help asking as he watched his Boss sit near the door of the fire exit, attaching a silencer on the gun.

"They blew up the car to smoke us out, that means they don't plan on entering the building. If they did, they could've just as easily blown us up from the start." Midoriya opens the door slightly and peaks below them. "They probably want to make sure they get the target, or it's a preparation for a quick escape." He points his gun out and closes one eye. "Either way, they aren't getting away."

Shouto watches with narrowed eyes how his Boss pulls the trigger followed by a man suddenly running away clutching his arm. "That barely does the job," he comments offhandedly. "You should just go down there and use your quirk to fight."

"Well, I don't have a quirk." Midoriya answers casually, looking at a map on his smartwatch.

Shouto's eyes slowly widen, "what?" He asks, breathless, mind running a thousand miles per hour.

"I don't have a quirk," Midoriya repeats, frowning at him this time. "But if you didn't know that I seriously question everything you think you know about me." He moves to the opposite side of the door, shooting another man.

Shouto watches mindlessly as the man he just shot tries to look for where the bullet came from, but then Bakugou explodes on him. The rest of the guardians seem to be doing a good job. After all, the only reason they fell into a disadvantage earlier was that they weren't expecting their own Boss to attack them.

Midoriya stands and walks across the hallway, positioning himself on the other end of the building. He shoots at least four people this time before moving inside his apartment and shooting another two from the window opposite his room.

Shouto observes him quietly, this person was supposed to be the same helpless kid from the funeral. But now that doesn't seem to be the case, he wonders vaguely if he had made any misconceptions due to first impressions. Or perhaps this was just another side of his Boss he has yet to be familiar with. He watches the green-haired man check the map on his watch again, before moving to the master bedroom's veranda.

Midoriya has fired at least a dozen rounds by the time they hear sirens and see three police cars parking in front of the building. They head out and his Boss greets the police officers with too much familiarity, if the hugs were anything to go by. The rest of the guardians regrouped with Shouto behind him, some of them restraining the enemy mafia famiglia members they captured.

Midoriya borrows a megaphone from the middle police car, clearing his throat to speak. "Hello, mafiosi! Welcome to Japan!" He starts, suddenly all smiles. "My name is Midoriya Izuku, 18-years-old! I'm the new Boss of the Yuuei Famiglia!"

Shouto frowns, the rest of the guardians look at one another questioningly from behind him.

"I just figured you all needed an introduction, what with how obvious you've made it that you don't know who you're dealing with!" Midoriya's smile starts morphing into an uncharacteristic smirk. "After all, I'm sure that by now you've already figured out I shot you with a very special bullet, right? A bullet that nullifies quirks and erases them completely."

Shouto distractedly hears Kaminari gasp behind him, he belatedly realizes he also held his breath.

"I was wondering why the wounded ones weren't using their quirks," Iida whispers. He was looking down at one of the restrained enemies.

"Oh, shoot! Katsuki, that's the same gun he pointed at you," Kirishima notes.

"We don't know if those were the same bullets though," Bakugou answers, voice sounding grim.

In his defense, a quirk-nullifying bullet was a serious source of concern, the underworld especially has great interest in the subject.

"Don't worry! I can give you your quirks back!" Midoriya laughs like he was telling a funny joke, then his smile turns sinister. "That is, if you can grovel to my feet faster than your families can deem you worthless enough to kill you first."

Kaminari audibly gasps again, Shouto could just imagine the blond's open mouth hanging.

"That's all! Have a good day, gentlemen!" Midoriya abruptly turns back to them, handing the megaphone back to one of the police officers. "I want them all behind bars by the time I arrive at the station later."

"Of course," the middle-aged police officer nods solemnly at their Boss.

"Did Sir Nighteye say something?" Midoriya asks in a whisper within their earshot.

"No, but he'd probably speak with you when you get there," the same officer replies.

"Okay, thank you so much." Midoriya smiles slightly, looking resigned. "Sorry about this."

The police officer just shakes his head and they start rounding up the enemy mafia members, putting each on handcuffs. The guardians surrender their catch, but when it was Iida's turn the man he had in his hold started struggling. He broke out of line, pulling away before dropping to his knees.

"Wait! Wait! Boss! Please, I'm begging you!" He held his hands together in front of him in a semblance of prayer, bowing his head to the ground. "I'm nothing without my quirk! They would kill me! Please!"

That certainly got everyone's attention, and they all watch apprehensively as their Boss slowly approaches the man. But before Midoriya could say anything, a loud bang echoed through the street.

Shouto wasn't even able to move, things happened too fast and before he realized it, Midoriya was bleeding on his left forearm. He had outstretched his arm, shielding the man from a bullet fired from somewhere behind them, probably aimed at the man.

"Congratulations, you're faster!" Midoriya smiles before turning to his back and shooting the person who shot him. The police officers immediately gave chase and captured the shooter.

Midoriya is suddenly turning to Shouto. "And you're slow. You said you would protect me."

Shouto opens his mouth to respond, but his Boss is already turning away from him as if in immediate dismissal.

Midoriya kneels in front of the man he protected, reaches out and gently pats him on the head with a bloody hand. A stray drop of blood lands on the man's horrified face, but their Boss was smiling the kindest smile Shouto has ever seen. "Don't worry, everything will be okay. I'm here now."

And all of a sudden, Shouto is seeing his fallen Boss again. Hisashi was patting a child on the head the same way, making promises with the same words. Shouto was only about ten-years-old then, when he met the Godfather for the first time.

He belatedly realizes the mistake of doubting the man in front of him, Midoriya is truly the new Boss of Yuuei.

* * *

After Midoriya got his wound patched up, they followed him to the police station, intent on assisting with the investigation and giving statements. Shouto joined Midoriya in riding a police car, while the five other guardians squeezed themselves in their remaining car, after a police check if it was bugged or planted with a bomb.

As soon as they all got to their destination though, Kaminari and Kirishima couldn't stop gushing over their new Boss. The two were excitedly talking about how cool and manly and brave Midoriya was, despite not seeing him in action. They only knew the green-haired man was sniping enemies from the inside of the building. But perhaps his little challenge and introduction helped in that. Shouto quietly admits to himself both instances were sort of impressive. He presses his lips in a tight line, suddenly feeling the need to prove his worth and loyalty. If their Boss could just accept him, that would be one less thing to think about.

"But really! That was the most mafia boss thing I have ever seen!" Kaminari is the first person to follow Midoriya inside an unoccupied office. Shouto notes the name on the desk reads, 'Sir Nighteye'.

"I'm not a mafia boss," Midoriya replies, lying on his stomach on the sofa and hugging a throw pillow to his face. All the tension seems to have left his body through the car ride.

"But you're our Boss," Kaminari insisted weakly.

"No, I'm not your Boss," Midoriya opens one eye to look at him. "Go back home to Italy where you came from."

"But you said-"

"Okay, first off," Midoriya raises a finger and lifts himself to his elbows. "That was a bluff. That's what you do when you want to get results at a time you want to get them. The best weapon out there is striking fear, all you have to do is make the right prodding and people will fill in the blanks themselves. It's a strategy the police use for criminals, and I'm surprised you people don't realize what that was considering you're in the mafia."

"We're newbloods, most of us anyway." Kaminari shrugs lamely.

"Whatever, I don't care," Midoriya shakes his head,disbelieving. "I still don't know if you're not just here to kill me anyway."

"For the last time, I'm telling you I'm not working for my father." Shouto tried to keep his voice as level as he could, but he just couldn't help the outburst anymore.

"Whatever happened to 'not needing my trust'?"

Shouto bit his tongue.

Midoriya sat up to properly address him, "remember? Just a little less than an hour ago, you said you didn't need my trust as long as I allowed you to protect me. And I did allow you to protect me," he raised his bandaged left arm that was previously shot. "But that didn't exactly work for me, did it? So why should trusting you make any difference? When I can't even trust your capabilities, much less you yourself."

Shouto bowed his head and numbly stared at his feet. He didn't want to make the excuse he was distracted, even if it was the truth. He didn't want to admit it, and certainly not to the subject of his thoughts. He just got too caught up in the scenario at the time, it really looked like nothing bad could happen because Midoriya was there. And the knowledge that the green-haired man managed to do all that, from the moment he single-handedly fought back against them and until his ultimatum, all the while not having a quirk was just entrancing. Shouto felt too relaxed he didn't think he had to move, the entire time he was just following after his Boss. Which was a misjudgment in hindsight, considering how he failed to protect the man. Now he thinks that although Midoriya made him feel safe, the other probably didn't feel the same.

"Now wait a fucking second, that's not fair," Bakugou suddenly interrupts, surprisingly defending him. "You weren't in danger back there, you just deliberately put yourself in the fucking way."

"And I was hit by that bullet still. It doesn't matter if I wasn't the target, I was obviously within range. Which means they could've just as easily killed me back there if they wanted to. Besides, how do you know that man wasn't just leading me in the right spot to be shot? Didn't he surrender too soon? Didn't it look like a trap?" Midoriya didn't lose his reasoning. "And this isn't a testament of my recklessness, I knew someone was going to try taking a shot. But he didn't, which is a testament to his incapabilities despite begging so much to protect me."

"I'm sorry," Shouto blurts out before Bakugou could argue for him further. Then he moves to sit on his knees, resting both hands open on his lap. It looked like a posture of absolute surrender. He finally lifts his gaze back up and straight to their Boss. "Please shoot me as punishment."

He didn't know what he was doing, or why he was doing it, but he knew he had to prove himself somehow and the only thing he could offer was the power to have his quirk taken away from him. Midoriya doesn't have a quirk so he should recognize the importance of one. He absent-mindedly thinks about how harder this would make living the rest of his life if he really did lose his quirk. Then again, it doesn't sound too bad knowing it will probably be the biggest show of spite to his father. Also, he could be freed.

Suddenly, he hears Midoriya laughing. "That bullet was just a bluff too, you know," he waves them off. "The effects aren't permanent. The longest it could last is a week, depending on the person's constitution."

Shouto might have looked a little bit dumbfounded at that.

"What?!" Bakugou bursts.

"I know, I know," Midoriya nods to himself. "It's funny how you could actually get people to grovel to your feet for nothing. And trust me, I've made many people beg for their lives for things even lesser."

"You son of a..." Bakugou growls but he was smiling.

"Don't you dare finish that, my mom has nothing to do with this. And I can still shoot you in the head with normal bullets, and you can die from that." Midoriya glares challengingly, but he was also smiling.

They hear a knock before Bakugou could retaliate further, and the door opens to a young Lady with red hair and pigtails. "You're here early, Nighteye is in a meeting with the Chief."

"La Brava! Thanks for everything! You're the best!" Midoriya suddenly beams. "Sorry about that, and yeah, I guess I'm still supposed to be in school at this time."

"How many bullets did you use?" La Brava doesn't beat around the bush. [2]

"About a dozen?" Midoriya scratches his cheek, smiling sheepishly.

"Midoriya, you know those bullets are-" she immediately stops herself, seeing as they weren't alone. She raises an eyebrow when she sees Shouto still sitting on his knees, but she pushes on. "Never mind, you already know."

"Can I get some antidote?" Midoriya suddenly asks.

"Why? You're not just gonna wait?" Her eyebrows slowly rose as she was finishing the question, glancing at Shouto again before breaking into a lazy smile. "You made them 'grovel to your feet' again, didn't you?"

Midoriya bit his lower lip, trying to stop himself from smiling too much, "maybe."

La Brava sighs and shakes her head, but she was still smiling. "Go ask Overhaul yourself."

"Oh, man... I don't really want to talk to him, guess they'll just have to wait." Midoriya shrugs.

"You're the worst." She turns to her back, intent on leaving. "I'll see you later, I'm still working on the reports."

"Yeah, thanks for that by the way! I owe you!" Midoriya hurries to say before the door closes. And when he was sure she was out of earshot he explains. "She was the one I was talking to on the phone earlier. She's a gifted hacker, and an ex-convict. We met about a year ago when I arrested her."

"Does this mean, you're also planning to recruit that man you saved?" Iida connects the dots.

Midoriya frowns, "absolutely not! I'm not interested in people who only have their quirks to their name."

Shouto suddenly remembers the man saying he is nothing without his quirk, and what his Boss said about being quirkless. He vaguely wonders what Midoriya thinks of him now, after he asked to be shot, while not knowing the effects wouldn't be permanent anyway and it's not like he actually thought he was going to be shot. He allows himself to feel a little semblance of hope, at the very least it puts him on the good book.

"Anyway, it looks like my mentor isn't gonna be available for a while. Maybe, I should just come back later?" Midoriya wonders aloud and looks around at the six guardians, he doesn't know why they followed him here. He manages to take one step towards the door before his phone rings. He picks it up with one look at the caller ID.

"Kouta-kun! What's up? Aren't you supposed to be in school?"

* * *

Izuku runs as fast as he could, fearing the worst. He doesn't know why all of this is happening to him right now, and he really doesn't want to believe it. It feels just like yesterday when he was living a relatively normal life and now everything's like a nightmare. He turns a corner and sprints, all six of his guardians hot on his heels. He doesn't think about them, or if they know something about this. He doesn't have the time.

The first thing he notices were the sirens, flashes of red and blue as police cars come into view. There were at least five, but he's not sure. He doesn't have the patience to count them. They were all parked near the gates, with police officers milling about, assisting children and their parents. Of course, they were. After all, this was a primary school. And coincidentally, the institution where his mother worked.

His breath hitched, coming to a stop in front of the police line as he takes in the damage done. Windows smashed and rubble everywhere, he vaguely notices an ambulance rushing out of the scene. He breathes in hard, scanning through the people. There were meatballs everywhere, a testament of Shishikura's quirk, one of his colleagues. Most of them contained in a distinct cloth of black and white. He doesn't need time to come to that conclusion. The enemy mafia famiglia must've come here after failing to capture him.

Izuku curses inside his mind, he got distracted showing off. He should've known that just because he won his own fight, doesn't mean that was the end of it. Of course none of them played fair, they were the mafia after all. He suddenly feels stupid. He isn't sure if they allowed some to get away, or if this was a different group. Either way, they were probably from the same famiglia. But it doesn't matter even if they weren't, he needs to find his mother.

"Midoriya!"

Izuku turns at the call of his name and sees a familiar figure. "Sempai!"

"What are you doing here? You should go to the hospital!" Mirio runs up to him.

"The hospital?" Izuku felt his heart stop, he was too late.

"I'm sorry, we did our best but she still got wounded-"

Izuku didn't hear anymore what else he had to say, the next thing he knew he was at the hospital and he could barely feel his legs. He approached the nurses' station but nothing came out from his mouth.

"We're looking for Midoriya Inko, his mother. She's as a teacher from Musutafu Primary?" He heard Todoroki say from somewhere behind him, a strong arm finding its way around him, keeping him upright.

They were given the room number and Todoroki led him to where it was, opening a door to the sight of his wounded mother lying unconscious on the bed.

Izuku felt all of his remaining strength leave him then, falling to his knees he finally cried.

* * *

Shouto always thought he's learned how to better handle things having lived his entire life in the mafia. He knew he couldn't be easily attached, the people around him could die anytime, but that doesn't mean he could help it. Still, he strives to at least be capable of action when need be, suppressing his emotions in favor of efficiency. Not that either could help him right now.

His boss is crying on the floor, he looks very much like the same person he met the first time. Weak and powerless, shaking to the core with every sob. It was heartbreaking. And though Shouto wishes he could offer assurance, he knows that was the last thing he could give, Midoriya doesn't trust him after all. But what he can offer is a shoulder to cry on, if his boss wanted one. He was the first guardian Midoriya met, so it's not like the other's would try to get near him. And he's sure the green-haired man needed someone, anyone would do right now.

That's how he found himself awkwardly hugging his Boss on the floor. He supported him earlier so they were sitting sideways, bodies now turned slightly to face each other. Like this, Shouto wishes he was at least a source of comfort. He'd take Midoriya not pushing him away as a good sign.

Until the green-haired man managed to get his voice back. "P-please don't kill her, she's the o-only family I have."

His voice sounds so little and broken, something wrenches in Shouto's gut. He also realizes his Boss still suspects him to have something to do with it, but before he could refute Midoriya continues.

"Kill me instead, it was m-my fault! She has nothing to do with any of this," Midoriya continues to cry, tears falling like a waterfall. "I was j-just trying to defend myself, I'm sorry."

Hearing his Boss apologize to him like this struck a chord deep within him. It's not like he took the initial aggression personally, Shouto knows Midoriya doesn't trust him. Besides, it's not like the green-haired man dealt him actual harm. He was just fighting back, for his own sake. And he had to admit, the man was good at it. Midoriya was strategic, calm and efficient, brave and relentless. Shouto was actually a bit impressed. But now, he's seeing the most vulnerable side of him, he doesn't think anything he could say would help.

"It's not your fault, don't be stupid," surprisingly, it was Bakugou who tries to knock some sense into him. "You did what you had to do. Now we just have to pay those fuckers back."

Shouto knew the words were meant for their Boss, but honestly, he must've needed to hear them as well.

Midoriya falls silent after that, reduced to hiccups and sniffles until eventually falling asleep. Shouto gently rests him on a nearby couch, careful not to wake him. He spares Midoriya's mother one glance before motioning for the rest of the guardians to move out. And as soon as the door closes, he hears Bakugou open his mouth again.

"What the hell was that back there, you dumbass?"

Shouto sighs, he doesn't want to look at him so he just focuses on a couch at the lobby, walking and sitting himself. "He still thinks my father sent me."

"So what? You both said it already, that he doesn't need to trust us. We just need to protect him because it's our job." Bakugou stands in front of him, arms crossed.

"But he's our Boss." Shouto stares at the blond's shoes, still avoiding his gaze.

"But he's not his father, our loyalty doesn't matter anymore. Come on, let's get over this already. This is fucking ridiculous."

"I just want him to accept me," Shouto looks up at him then, but immediately regrets it.

"Why? Because he's your 'only hope'? Do you seriously believe that? He wants to be a police officer, that means we're everything he's against." Bakugou huffs, looking out the window. "I admit he's passable, at least now we have less to worry about. But even if he does stay with us, things are going to take its fucking time."

"And time is something we don't have, with lives on the line." Shinsou was the one who interrupts this time, looking at something on his phone.

"That's right, we need to move too." Iida agrees, looking back to the room where Midoriya was. "Unfortunately our Boss is not yet well-versed on how our world works, so we'll have to take action in his stead for now. We'll decide everything based on what we think is his best interest," the bluenette then looks back at Shouto. "Are you going to stay here?"

Shouto nods numbly, remembering the promise never to let their Boss out of his sight again.

"And you, Bakugou?" Iida turns to the blond.

"No way am I gonna babysit! I'm gonna off some fuckers!" Bakugou walks out.

"I guess I'll go with him for now?" Kirishima turns to the side and points at the blond's direction. "You know, just to make sure he doesn't get himself killed or get into too much trouble." He grins and mock salutes them before jogging off.

Iida nods to the redhead before turning back to the remaining guardians. "I'll go back to Yagi-san to report and see if we can delegate some of the other tasks."

"I'll go with you," Shinsou says before turning to Kaminari, silently asking about him.

Kaminari doesn't answer and turns to Shouto instead. He offers, "I can stay with you if you want, Todoroki? Buddy system, you know."

Shouto shakes his head, but gives a slight smile. "It's fine, you can go. I think I still need to have a word with the Boss by myself, but thanks."

"If you're sure," Kaminari gives him a sheepish smile.

"We'll be a phone call away, if anything happens," Iida bids him goodbye and the three are off, leaving Shouto to his thoughts.

* * *

Izuku wakes up when he hears a scuffle from outside the door, it sounds like some people were fighting with shouts and loud stomps. He jolts up on his feet, his mother was still unconscious and he needed to protect her if they were being attacked here. It dawns him then that he was all by himself, he grinds his teeth thinking about the people who promised to protect him. He reached for the gun behind him as the voices grew louder and closer, pointing the weapon at the door just as someone starts pounding and then it suddenly opens to reveal a white-haired young woman falling face first.

"Onii-chan!" It was Eri, a 13-year-old girl he helped rescue three years ago.

"Aniki!" Then he saw Kouta wrestling with Todoroki in the hallway, pushing and pulling at each other.

"I'm sorry! I told them to come back tomorrow but they wouldn't listen," Todoroki struggles to keep his hold on Kouta's waist, his other hand was gripping on Eri's ankle.

Izuku sighs exasperatedly, lowering his gun and shoulders. "You guys are too noisy, this is a hospital!" He whispers in a shout, walking over to help Eri get up from the floor. "Let them go, Todoroki-kun. It's okay."

As soon as Todoroki relaxes his hold, Kouta elbows him in the chin.

"Who the hell is that scarface?!" Kouta points at him while clutching at the bottom of Izuku's shirt.

"He's just, uhmm..." Izuku bites the inside of his cheek, before lamely finishing, "a friend."

"Some friend!" Kouta glares at Todoroki, "don't you know we're family?!"

"My apologies," Todoroki rubs at his jaw, glaring back.

"It's fine, Todoroki-kun. Come inside and close the door," Izuku says before tipping his head to the younger girl. "This is Eri-chan, by the way, my daughter." Then he tips his head to the younger boy, "and this is Kouta-kun, my son."

"You're too young to have children," Todoroki comments lamely as Kouta sticks a tongue out at him.

Izuku rolls his eyes, "of course not biologically, but we're family." He agrees to the earlier statement, and smiles fondly before squeezing the two in a tight hug, "you guys didn't have to come, you know. We're fine."

"But we were worried!" Eri whined, eyes already glassy.

"Togata-san said Auntie Inko got injured!" Kouta breaks away from the hug and turns to face the bed. "That's why I brought Eri-chan here!"

"She's going to be fine, don't worry," Izuku tries to calm the two down, even though he wasn't sure about things himself. He wasn't able to talk to any Doctor since coming here because he became hysterical, he doesn't even know the extent of her injuries.

"But I can heal her! I've been training!" Eri pleaded, holding his hand.

"Eri-chan, you know you aren't allowed to use your quirk carelessly," Izuku tries to be the voice of reason, despite not being convinced himself.

"I won't be careless, I'll do my best!" Eri bites her lower lip. "Please, I won't hurt her."

Izuku curses inside his mind, whenever Eri says that it means she thinks he doesn't believe in her.

"Why don't you let her do it?" Todoroki's voice breaks him out of his thoughts, the bi-haired man explains. "The doctors told me your mother was shot, but they already managed to take the bullet out so I think any kind of healing can help."

"You don't know what you're talking about Todoroki-kun," Izuku starts, glaring hard at the floor because he's relenting. "But I guess we can just explain," he turns to Eri and gives her a nod. "Fine, show him."

"Are you sure?" Kouta suddenly asks from his other side.

Izuku nods, "yeah, he's safe." He says even though again, he isn't sure.

Kouta glares at Todoroki again, as if in warning. Eri then approaches Inko's bedside, looking apprehensive. Todoroki takes his place beside Izuku where he could see what she was doing.

"Eri-chan doesn't actually heal, it's not a regeneration quirk." Izuku whispers to his cloud guardian.

Eri raises her right forefinger, and sparks surround her body before she slowly and gently pokes Inko on the cheek. It was a long poke, like she was trying to wake her up. Inko then visibly starts getting some color back on her face, they couldn't see the rest of the process but Izuku is sure she's getting healed.

"Her quirk turns back a person's time, back to before they gained injuries." Izuku continues to explain, waiting for his mother to wake up. "One millisecond is worth at least an hour, depending on her concentration and the expanse of the touch."

As if on cue, Inko opens her eyes then.

"Mama Inko!" Eri cries and hugs her.

"Auntie!" Kouta runs to her other side.

"Oh, you two! I'm glad you're both safe," she hugs each child before turning to her son.

"Mom, we're all fine, but how about you? How do you feel?" Izuku walks to give her a hug as well.

"I'm perfectly fine, it just feels like I woke up from a long slumber!" She laughs and then turns to the little girl, knowing too well. "Thank you, Eri-chan." When she receives a proud smile, she turns to the boy on her other side. "Thanks to you too, Kouta-kun. I know you were the one who called Izuku."

"No problem!" Kouta sniffles and huffs.

Inko nods, smiling before tilting her head as she notices an unknown man behind her son. "And who might you be?"

"Oh! That's Todoroki-kun!" Izuku moves to wave him over, "he works for Yagi-san. He also helped us."

"Oh, I see," her tone noticeably changed. Whether that was because of the mention of the older man's name or knowing the implications of working for him, Izuku couldn't tell.

"I'm glad you're all right, Midoriya-san," Todoroki bows lowly before turning to Izuku. "I'll stay outside, call me if you need anything."

"That won't be necessary," Inko cuts him off before Izuku could respond. "Take Izuku home, he looks like a mess."

"Mom!" Izuku looks incredulous.

"You're still wearing your uniform, that means you rushed here, didn't you?" Inko looks concerned. "Besides, you were waiting for me to wake up, right? To make sure I'm okay? Well, as you can see, I'm fine. Go home and rest, I'll check myself out as soon as I talk to the doctor. I'll have Eri-chan and Kouta-kun with me so it'll be okay. You can order take-out for dinner and wait for me at home, okay?"

Izuku sighs, relenting and helplessly nodding his head. "Okay, but I get to choose the place this time. And also!" He looks at the two children, pretending to be stern. "You two have curfew and it's a weekday, so no sleepovers."

"Aww!" Eri and Kouta chorused. "But Onii-chan/Aniki!"

"No butts!" Izuku huffs, resting both hands on each side of his waist. "You need to let me and my mom rest, but tomorrow we'll see each other again, okay?" He still breaks into a smile at the end.

"Fine, geez," Kouta sighs and Eri just laughs sheepishly.

"Okay! Group hug!" Izuku pulls Eri and Kouta with him to hug his mother, before he leaves.

"Join us, Todoroki-kun," Inko suddenly calls for the bi-haired guardian.

"Ah, no. It's okay, but thank you." Todoroki nods and politely refuses before taking a step back.

"Oh, come on already, geez!" Izuku grabs him by the wrist and hugs him by the waist, pushing him into the circle with his head in between Inko and Kouta.

"Don't worry, we're family now." Inko whispers with the gentlest voice before they all squeeze and pull away, the circle breaking off too quickly.

Izuku catches the sad smile flashing on Todoroki's face at the words, he doesn't know what to think about this.

* * *

**To be continued.**

**AN: **Honestly, I'm not sure what to feel about this chapter. I have too many ideas and not enough ways to connect them. I've re-written this too many times, I don't want to read it again. So please just take it! I just wanna move on to the next part. I'm sorry, I write like I'm on crack. I hope this was sensible enough.

**Fic facts:**  
1.) The guardian titles are meaningless and would not really serve a purpose in the story. It just fits.

2.) I decided to have them use their codenames, since their real names aren't familiar and I don't want readers to be googling for them every time. Besides, Sir Nighteye isn't a hero name, it's his real name. xD I want them all to be uniformed at least, we'll use police work and ex-convictions as an excuse.

— Lynx  
20190909

Please review! And follow me on Twitter at Todoroki_Izu  
Thank you!


End file.
